Police Beat

Drivers continue to learn how to use highway roundabouts, as evidenced by another crash at the Sharpes Corner roundabout.

A late model SUV and pickup driving side by side entered the Sharpes Corner roundabout driving eastbound from Anacortes on Saturday, Sept. 21. The SUV driver in the inside lane attempted to exit the roundabout towards Oak Harbor and struck the pickup in the outside lane. The at-fault driver was given a ticket for failure to yield. Both vehicles sustained reportable damage. No one was injured.

Here are some other cases Anacortes Police reported this week.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

An Anacortes Police Corporal on bike patrol pulled over a speeding sports car at the intersection of R Avenue and 9th Street on Saturday afternoon. The 50-year-old Stanwood driver provided her license and registration as requested, speaking slowly and deliberately while doing so. She agreed to take roadside sobriety tests, but had a difficult time following simple instructions and had a hard time finding her balance. She offered a voluntary breath sample showing a blood alcohol content over twice the legal limit to safely operate a motor vehicle. She was taken into custody for DUI and transported to APD for processing. She was later released after agreeing to appear in court.

Late Saturday night, an APD Officer on patrol contacted a sedan on R Avenue with an inoperable license plate light. During the course of his investigation, the officer determined that a male passenger in the sedan had two warrants for malicious mischief and contempt of court out of the Anacortes Municipal Court. The 50-year-old male was taken into custody and a search incident to arrest yielded a hollow pen and a piece of tin foil, items commonly associated with illicit drug use. He was booked in the county jail on his warrants and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Just after midnight on Monday morning an APD Officer on patrol on SR 20 noted a Harley Davidson motorcycle traveling faster than the posted speed limit as it came nearer to Anacortes city limits. The officer pulled the motorcycle over to speak with the 40-year-old Oregon driver. The rider told the officer he thought he was going 40 mph. A routine check of the rider’s driving status revealed that his license was suspended and there was an ignition interlock requirement on his vehicle. No interlock was present, so the man was taken into custody for driving while license suspended and operating a vehicle without an ignition interlock. He was released on scene and agreed to appear in court on a later date. He left his bike legally parked on the side of the road.

An older model sedan pulled off to the side of SR 20 on Monday morning, followed by an APD Officer who pulled in behind him as it appeared the vehicle was having mechanical issues. The driver, a 51-year-old man from Burlington, said the accelerator wasn’t working properly so he pulled over. A routine check revealed that the man had a suspended driving status and two misdemeanor warrants for driving while license suspended. He was booked and released on his warrants and cited on scene for his driving offense.

A 41-year-old Anacortes man was arrested for assaulting his brother on Monday evening. The suspect’s brother called police to report that the two men got into a physical altercation that evening and his brother struck him several times with a closed fist. Officer’s interviewed both parties and determined that the 41-year-old initiated physical contact so he was booked in the county jail.

A local retailer contacted police on Monday evening to report a female patron who was acting suspiciously by placing items in a bag she was carrying. Once on scene, the responding officer spoke with store staff who pointed out a woman in a shopping aisle placing items in her bag. The officer spoke with the woman who said she was shopping but had concealed several items from the store in her bag. A routine check on the 28-year-old revealed that she had three active warrants. She was taken into custody on her warrants. A search incident to arrest yielded several drug paraphernalia items, including several used syringes. She was transported to jail where she was booked on her warrants and charges of theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Early Tuesday afternoon, APD Officers assisted with an older model pickup in the roadway that was smoking from an apparent electrical problem. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road, electrical connections were removed, and the Anacortes Fire Department extinguished the fire.

An Anacortes Police Sergeant recognized a 31-year-old Sedro-Woolley man with active arrest warrants as he got into a vehicle and drove onto Commercial Avenue on Tuesday afternoon so she pulled the vehicle over. The man had three warrants, including one felony warrant for possession of a stolen vehicle and eluding. K-9 T-Bone also responded to the scene and alerted to the odor of illegal substances, so the vehicle was impounded and later searched for illegal drugs.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Just after 8PM on Thursday, an APD Sergeant was made aware of an erratically driven SUV that would drive slowly, then stop at random while driving in the area of 32nd and D Avenue. The Sergeant located and followed the vehicle for a short time and noticed erratic driving patterns, including driving on the wrong side of the road at slow speeds. The Sergeant illuminated her emergency lights and contacted the 47-year-old Anacortes driver to investigate. The woman appeared surprised at the officer’s presence and seemed very disoriented. The driver did not seem to understand basic instructions for the roadside sobriety tests and had a difficult time standing and walking. The woman was taken into custody for DUI and transported to APD for processing. She was later released to a family member with a copy of her citation.

Friday, September 27, 2019

APD Officers were dispatched to a vehicle prowl in progress on South March’s Point Road on Friday afternoon. The victim met with police in a parking lot nearby, stating that he contacted the male suspect and collected the items that were stolen from his unlocked vehicle. The victim told the officer that he would like to press charges for theft and trespassing. The 50-year-old suspect was also on scene and he was interviewed, then arrested for theft and trespassing. He was later released at the scene.